Exclusive Appleseed: Ex Machina Trailer

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Shirow Masamune's epic franchise returns under the supervision of John Woo. Must see footage!

By Richard George

Appleseed needs little introduction for fans of anime and manga. Or at least it shouldn't need an introduction. The legendary manga series by Shirow Masamune was adapted into an equaled revered anime film that reached the United States in 2004. Now main characters Deunan and Briareos are back in an all-new film, Appleseed: Ex Machina, directed by Shinji Aramaki and produced by John Woo, who specifically supervised the story and action sequences.

For those worried that the integrity of this film is being compromised, know that Digital Frontiers, the production studio of the 2004 film, has been recruited for Ex Machina as well. The budget for Machina is greater than the one for the original Appleseed, and CGI animation is being used alongside upgraded designs to create an incredibly unique presentation.

For those not familiar with the franchise, here's a synopsis of the concept as well as an idea of what's to come in Ex Machina: "Following the non-nuclear war that killed half the world's population, the city-nation of Olympus stands as a beacon of hope in a world of chaos and conflict. The utopian metropolis is governed by Gaia, a vast artificial intelligence, and administered by genetically engineered humanoids known as Bioroids, whose designer DNA suppresses strong emotions. With Bioroids being half of its population, peace and order are easily maintained.

"Deunan, a young female warrior, and Briareos, a veteran cybord-soldier, are both partners and lovers. As memboers of E.S.W.A.T., the elite special forces serving Olympus, they are deployed whenever trouble strikes. The two fighters find their partnership tested in a new way by the arrival of a new member to their ranks - an experimental Bioroid named Tereus.

"Created by Gaia using DNA from Briareos, Tereus uncannily resembles Briareos before the wartime injuries that led to his becoming a cyborg. Not only does this trouble Deunan, but Briareos's DNA gives Tereus more than top-notch fighting skills, this battle-ready Bioroid is like Briareos in another way - he has strong romantic feelings for Deunan!

"At the same time, Olympus finds itself under a stealth attack by a mysterious cabal of scientists intent on imposing their own version of world peace upon the peoples of the world."

Stay tuned to IGN for more trailers and clips from Appleseed: Ex Machina! The film is set to be released on DVD in the Spring of 2008. You can also find out more information by heading to the official Warner Bros site, which can be found here.